Jackie Chan is giving it back

The Nation
E-mail ntsoopsip
@gmail.com July 10, 2012 1:00 am

Chan

No one needs much convincing to go see a Jackie Chan movie, but now the Hong Kong superstar has extra appeal with part of his ticket revenues going to Jackie Chan's Charitable Foundation and the Dragon's Heart Foundation.

The first raises money for victims of disaster and the second for needy children and elderly people in rural areas. Folks affected by the flooding in Thailand last year have just become beneficiaries.

After visiting Myanmar in his other role as a Unicef ambassador, Chan came here on Sunday to hand over Bt6 million to 30 organisations. He expressed hope that more celebrities will follow his example to give back to the public. "Copycats are welcome!" he laughed. "I grew up poor and struggled, and now I have enough money to share with the needy."

Chan said he's loved Thailand ever since his first brief trip here as a youngster. And he still remembers indispensable phrases like mai pen rai. This stuff does matter, though, Jackie. Thanks!

Reasons to 'b'

Actress Chermarn "Ploy" Boonyasak honestly doesn't care what you think about her posting a nasty word on Instagram. Basically, she wrote "bastard" in Thai to characterise whoever it was that tried to hack into her photo-sharing account.

A lot of folks took exception to the brisk language, but Ploy just said Instagram is her private space and she intends to keep it that way. "I'm not a beauty queen or someone who can't use bad words! I'm sure the word slips from your mouth once in a while too, right?"

Rather than some sweet goodwill ambassador, she pointed out, she's "an actress and therefore an artist. I don't buy the idea that I'm a public figure so I have to set a good example for young people. Come on, I'm not a prime minister!"

Then Ploy tried a different tack. "When I read it again it looked funny. Don't be so uptight, people. We're living on the Earth - we shouldn't carry it on our shoulders."